Index-box.



B. 1.. ROBERTS.

INDEX BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1908.v 927,754, Patented July 13, 1909.

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Patented July 13, 1909.

B. L. ROBERTS".

INDEX'BOL APPLICATION FILED MAB. 26,1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN L; ROBERTS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO- BENJAMIN F. ROBERTS AND ONE-TENTH TO JAMES A. ROBERTS, BOTH OF THORN- WELL, LOUISIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed march 25, 1908. Serial No. 423,263.

ERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing.

at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Index-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a card index, and the obj cut of the invention is to provide a box or drawer with a plurality of index cards secured in a frame'pivotally connected within the sides of the box and provided with means so as to revolve the frames to reverse the faces of the cards.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card index box having a plurality of rotary frames containing cards and means for L ment hingedly secured together, both of the compartments being arranged with the framesand cards, and the cards in the upper compartment contained in the lower portion of the frames being brought into view when the compartment is swung open, thus disclosing the cards in the lower compartment for inspection.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character which is extremely simple, durable and effr-ctive and in which the necessity of handling the cards is entirely obviated.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel construction of elements and their arrangement in operated combination, hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the card index box constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the sections of the box swung open. Fig. 3 is a central lo 'tudinal sectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a on itudinal sectional view upon the line 4-4 0 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the car frame.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the face of the plate 4.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings the card index box comprisesa rectangular frame composing an upper section 1 and a lower section 2. The sections 1 and 2 are of an approximately equal size and formation and are secured together by hinges 3.

The longitudinal walls of the sections opposite those hingedly secured together'are cut away or reduced to provide for the reception of a bearing plate 4. This plate 4 is preferably constructed of a single strip of metal having its'ends and bottom inturned and its face provided with a lurality of vertically extending slits. This bearing plate 4 is secured to the reduced wall by suitable retaining elements, and the inturned flanges I provide a substantial compartment when the'bearing plate is in position, by spacing the face of the plate away from the Inner face of the wall. The opposite longitudlnal faces of the compartments are provided with a plurality of centrally arranged spaced perforations, adapted to aline with the lower walls provided by the vertical slits 1n the plate 4. The vided by the shts of the plate are adapted for the reception of trunnions 5, prov ded upon a card frame 6. One of the trunn-lons 5 of each card frame has secured thereto a toothed wheel 7, adapted to be interposed within the compartment formed between the inner faceof the reduced side and the inner This compartment is also adapted for the reception of a sliding toothed rack 8, adapted to mesh with the toothed wheels 7 of the frame 6 and being provided with a suitable knob or operating having a centrally arranged longitudinally extending partition or floor. The member 10 is provided with side members 11, comprising suitable arms having recesses ahmng with the channel provided by the space ers 11 are adapted to extend from each end of the member 10, to comprise a pair of separate card receiving frames.

erforations and walls pro-.

' plates of the member 10. These side memframe are desired When the card frames 6 have their trunnions ositioned within the bearings provided y the side of the compartments and the plates 4, the projecting space between the top of the plate 4 and the trunnions of the frames is provided with a longitudinally extending retaining plate. 12 havlng an orset or member 13 provided with a plurality of semi-circular. cut away portions 14, adapted to overlie the trunnions of the frame and to prevent the frame being accidentally removed from the box, as well as forcing the toothed wheels 7 into contact with the teeth of the rack 8.

In practice the card frame 6 has each of its upper and lower card receiving compartments provided with suitable index cards, preferably two to each compartment, arranged back to back and the indexing placed upon the outer faces of the cards. When the compartments of the box are positioned one upon the other, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings the faces of one series of the cards are revealed, a suitable transverse stop being arranged at one of the ends of the compartments of the box and adapted/to contact with the frame nearest the end to prevent the frames and cards from tilting so as to contact with each other. Should the card directly opposite the card exposed be desired for inspection the knob or o eratmg element, 9 is pushed to slide theme and rotate the frames through the medium of the toothed wheels 7 engaging the teeth of the sliding rack. Should the cards eontamed in the lower compartment of the frames be desired for inspection, the upper section of the box is turned upon its hinged connectlon with the lower section .2 of the box, when the cards will be revealed for inspectlon. Should the card below the card thus revealed be desired for inspection the o eratmg knob is manipulated to revolve t e frames to bring the card to View. The cards in the lower compartment or section 2 are operated to be brought to view in a manner similar to that above described, when the cards in the u per compartment of the flir inspection. When the cards in the lower compartment of the frames are to be inspected, the box is simply turned upside down and the sliding rack manipulated, when the desired card is brought into View and is observed through the opened bottom of the section 2.

From the above description it will be I noted thatthere is provided a simple, cheap,

durable and effective card index box ;'m which a great number of cards may be retained in a comparatively small space, in which four distinct cards are positioned u on a single frame, each of which may be rea ily brought into view by simply operating a knob and by swin 'ngopen the sectional index box. It will i' e noted that cards may be readily inserted and withdrawn from the card frame, and that during the inspection of the cards the handling of the cards and consequently, soiling and destroying is entirely obviated.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character plurality of index cards secured in frames pivotally connected with the box, and means described, a.

for revolving each of the frames to sim'ultane- I a toothed wheel upon each of' the trunnions,

and a rack bar connecting the toothed wheels to rotate the frames.

4. In; an index box of the character described, a plurality of frames provided with central trunnions mounted in bearings upon the sides of the box, said frames comprising a transverse member and side members arranged diametrically opposite the trunnions and adapted for the reception of index cards,

and means for simultaneously revolving the trunnions to reverse the faces" of the cards within the frames.

5. In an index box, card receiving frames having trunnions and being provided with card receiving compartments arranged in diametrically opposite positions upon each side of the trunnions, toothed wheels upon one of the trunnions, one side of the box being provided with bearing openings for the trunnions, the o posite side of the box being provided with abearing plate having its -bottom and ends provided with offsets and its face provided with cut away portions arranged vertically and adapted for the reception of the o posite trunnions ofthe frames, a sliding toot ed rack upon the ofiset bottom of the plate and engaging the toothed wheels of the frames, an operating knob for the toothed rack, and a retaining plate provided with an offset having semi-circular cut away portions adapted to engage the upper por-' tlons of the trunnions.

6. An index box comprising a pair of frames hingedly secured together, each of the sections of the box being provided with a plurality of card receiving frames mounted 1n trunnions between the sides of the box, and means for rotating all of the frames simultaneously so as to reverse the faces of the cards within the frames.

7. In an index box, a plurality of index 4 cards secured in frames pivotally connected In testimony whereof I aflix my signature with the lpoic, means for simullltaneously riein presence of two witnesses. vo ving t e rames to reverse t e faces of t e cards, and a stop provided upon the box BENJAMIN ROBERTS 5 adapted to be contacted by one of the i Witnesses:

frames, substantially as and for the ,purpose E. LEE PERRY, described. i v ALFRED N. WHEELER. 

